Energy Awareness IQ

On October 7, 2009, President Obama declared October as National Energy Awareness Month. Each year since 1991, the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) sponsors a program that provides materials and ideas to promote energy-saving practices at Federal facilities.

Raising the energy awareness IQ of consumers and business is the goal of the National Energy Awareness Month. This leadership role of FEMP in energy conservation is designed to trickle down to consumers and businesses if it is to succeed in making the U.S. independent of foreign sources of fossil fuels.

One of the most important strategies that individuals, families, and business can do right now is implement ongoing energy conservation strategies. Changing to energy efficient light bulbs and appliances when appropriate, and adding insulation and weatherstripping to homes and buildings are some examples that will help save families money and conserve energy.

Long term solutions include government incentives for developing solar, biofuels, wind power, and other alternative energy sources that create jobs, save energy, reduce pollution, and may ultimately be cheaper that present sources of fossil fuel.

Our country's leadership in developing alternative energy depends on our ability to graduate more students with science and technology expertise. To help teachers create greater interest in science and technology careers for their students, Discoverer provides a new content and science feature: Science Fair Explorer.

Science fair projects just got easier! This highly visual interactive helps students identify an exciting science fair project topic and quickly connect to age-appropriate project guides. All science fair projects can be completed at home or at school with everyday materials.

STEP 1: Explore a Topic—Choose a science fair project topic based on where you will find appropriate materials in your home—there are seven topical areas:



Each location represents a different science curriculum area.

STEP 2: Choose a Project—"In the kitchen" with a focus on Chemistry! There are seven project ideas in this topical area. Background information from Encyclopedia Britannica is provided for each project. Each project is age appropriate, safe, and provides complete directions and illustrations.

Assign students to complete an experiment in one of the topical areas appropriate to this point in your science curriculum. Students should complete a report of at least 100 words or a presentation of at least five slides detailing the experiment, significant background information, and what they learned from the experiment.

Click the link "Science Fair Explorer" > Click the Topic > Select the assigned experiment

Repurpose our newest library toolkit to get students into your media center—
online and in the real world!